Following up after an interview is a “mandatory optional.” There is no rule that says you must thank your interviewers after the interview, but employers now expect that their applicants will follow up with some type of thank you letter or phone call. It is important to follow up after every interview even in situations where you have decided that you do not want the job.
Methods of Follow Up
- Thank You Letter – The most common way to follow up is with a thank you letter. Thank you letters are friendly but formal documents, usually emails, that you send addressed to the people that interviewed you.
- Phone Call – Less common (though no less useful), phone calls are an effective way to follow up with your interviewers. They are friendlier and more personal than a thank you letter, but you do run the risk of having an awkward conversation screw up your amazing interview.
- Checking In – After a while has passed, some applicants like to check in and see where the employer is in their hiring process. This is not a bad idea. It shows that the applicant is dedicated to getting the job and it will help you figure out if it is time to move on with your employment search.
There are not too many ways you can follow up with an employer, simply because once the interviews are over the ball is in their court. Yet these methods of following up are highly beneficial to helping you get the job you want.
Tips for Following Up
- Ask interesting questions when you follow up with the employer. Good questions will keep the interviewer thinking about you for longer.
- Make sure you remember all of their names and titles. During the job interview, you may want to write them down to make sure that you don’t forget them.
- If possible, you should write each thank you letter or make each follow up phone call individually to each interviewer. Contact should be made within 24 hours of the interview.
- Don’t check in more than once unless instructed to, and be sure to wait at least a week so that you do not look desperate for the position.
- Restate your strengths. Whenever you follow up, you should be trying to sell yourself for the position, restating why you are perfect for the role.
It is always important to follow up after your interview. In the next post we’ll go over some common mistakes that occur when applicants follow up with an interview.
Take Away Interview Tips
- Always follow up after an interview.
- Follow up the day of or the day after the interview with a thank you letter or phone call.
- Contact the employer after one or two weeks to see where they are in the application process, and see if they would like any additional information from you to help your candidacy.